What is Tourette's Syndrome?

Tourette’s Syndrome is a chronic family disorder. Usually appearing before the age of 18, Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) is a disorder which can cause attention problems, impulsiveness and learning disabilities. Affecting all ethnic groups, TS is 3 to 4 more likely to affect men than women. Depending on the severity of the condition, victims of TS can lead productive lives and go on functioning relatively normally.

TS is typically characterized as a tic-disorder in which a person has both vocal and motor tics. Among the vocal (or phonic) tics a TS patient can exhibit are throat clearing, sniffing, barking, coughing, yelling, hiccupping, belching, or making animal sounds. Meanwhile, the motor tics associated with TS includes eye blinking, sticking tongue out, head turning, muscle tensing, kicking, flexing fingers, and shoulder jerking.

In addition to these basic tics, a TS victim may showcase more complex symptoms as well. For instance, he/she may suffer from the use of involuntary and inappropriate hand gestures and language (swearing). Alternatively, a TS patient may suffer from echolalia (i.e. the involuntary repetition of other people’s speech), echopraxia (i.e. involuntary imitation of other’s actions), as well as palilalia (i.e. involuntary repetition of one’s own speech).

The initial symptoms kick in during childhood with facial tics being the first of give-away signs of TS. Usually the first of the facial tics is eye blinking. On very rare occasions, but still within the realm of possibility, the symptoms of TS patients can be very harmful for their own selves, for instance some TS patients have been known to bite their lips and cheeks as well as bang their head against hard objects such as walls.

Fortunately, the awareness of TS has spread quite quickly. It is imperative that people understand this condition and accept people who are victims of this disorder. Among the key treatment options for TS is education of not only the patients but also those around them. Additionally, a person with TS may be advised to seek the help of a psychotherapist. Although the causes of TS are not psychotherapy related, psychotherapy is advised to help the patient cope with his condition and come to terms with his/her disorder.. Emphasis may also be placed on relaxation techniques which be help reduce stress and anxiety. Alternatively, medication may also be prescribed, although unfortunately medications are only effective at reducing symptoms rather than the disorder as a whole.

It should also be noted that TS patients may also suffer from Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or other forms of anxiety disorders.